Don't You Remember?
by gingerwriter
Summary: When Max wakes up from a coma, the flock discovers she only remembers an alternate reality, where she is a human. She doesn't have any memory of her flock, not even of her beloved Fang. The flock faces a new army of powerful enemies, and Max can't help.
1. Mackenzie

**I own nothing... and I didn't edit this much. It's my first story. So. Review _honestly_ plz.**

**BUT before you do, read stories by **b4k4-r3dux

**She's an epic writer, people!**

(Max's alternate reality, her name is Mackenzie)

"MACK!"

I hear the blinds being pulled up, and light pours into the room. My eyes snap open, and I groan. My little sister, Ariel, runs out of my room with her blonde curls bouncing behind her. She laughs evilly.

"Ariel!" I yell angrily, wanting to chase after her but not wanting to get out of bed.

"Mackenzie, leave your sister alone," my mom says. "It's time to wake up, anyway."

I sigh and reluctantly sit up, blinking sleepily. I rub my eyes. And then I check the clock.

"JESUS!" I shoot out of bed like a rocket, pulling down the blinds and slamming my door shut. I change clothes at what must be record speed.

Little can be done about my hair, which at the moment, is worse than a bird's nest. I didn't dry it after taking a shower last night, so it's in knots. Literally.

After I brush it, it ends up in tangled, brownish-blonde waves. I give up.

I fly down the stairs and eat breakfast in about ten seconds. I try not to gag as I devour soggy corn flakes. Gross.

Now, I only have five more minutes before we have to go. I run to the bathroom.

Five minutes later, teeth brushed, makeup applied rather sloppily, backpack grabbed, we're out the door. My dad takes Ariel to her elementary school, but I have to take the bus. He drives me to the end of our street and I get out of the car, waving goodbye.

I lean against the stop sign, rubbing my arms to keep warm. I only put on a light jacket; not a good idea for late October. Just before I freeze over, the bus comes. I climb on.

I'm one of the last stops on the route. My 'boyfriend', Nick, is two stops after me. I wait as patiently as I can, knowing that as soon as I see him, I'm going to smile. He only asked me out a little while ago, and we've been friends for a while, so we're still at that awkward stage.

He appears outside the window, and my theory comes true. I move my backpack off the seat next to me so he can sit down.

"Hi, Mack," he says, kissing me on the cheek when he comes over. "You look great today."

I roll my eyes, thinking he's just saying that, since I look worse than a train wreck. "Thanks," I say.

He takes a book out of his backpack. "I've got a health test today," he says, "and I didn't study. Is it okay if I-"

"Sure," I say, taking a book of my own out of my backpack. "I've got an English quiz anyway."

And this is how we go to school, studying, me bored the whole way because I don't really have an English quiz. I flip through pages without reading, looking like a complete idiot. But he buys it, at least, and after about ten minutes of agonizing silence, we finally reach our high school.

We all file out of the bus. I look over at the parking lot, expecting to see Tiffany, my best friend, running up to meet me. Her stepdad drives her.

She isn't there today. I frown slightly, wondering where she could be... she's never late.

I follow Nick into the building, and we hold hands. My heart flutters stupidly.

When we get into the cafeteria, where we all wait before the bell rings, I see Jeff, Nick's best friend and one of mine too. He's cleaning his glasses, which don't make him look nerdy or anything; he's actually the biggest slacker I know. But he has a really hard time seeing even with glasses; he's almost as blind as a bat.

"Hey, Jeff," says Nick, putting his backpack on the ground and pulling out a folding chair for me, then sitting down in his own.

"Oh, hey guys," Jeff says, squinting down at his glasses. "Do these look clean?" He shakes his head and puts them on, pushing strawberry blonde hair out of his eyes.

"How are you guys today?" he asks, considerate as ever.

"Freaking about the test," Nick complains. "I didn't study."

"Me neither, dude." He shakes his head. "I don't really care."

I laugh. "I'd take health tests over PE," I say. "Mrs. Archer made us run ten laps around the entire gym yesterday, and if we stopped, we got a demerit."

"Did you get one?" Jeff teases.

I make a face that he can't really see. "I'm in shape, thank you, Jeff."

Nick grins. "I'd rather watch your PE class than take stupid health tests."

I punch him in the arm. In defense, he says lamely, "Well, I mean, Mr. Blackwell is really a jerk and the tests he gives..."

"Yeah, yeah," I say, glaring at him.

The best thing about Nick and I is that we're still more friends than boyfriend-girlfriend. I've known him since we started preschool together; he only asked me out three weeks ago. He's still my best friend.

"Hey, where's Tiffany?" Jeff asks, bringing me out of my musings.

"I don't know. She's late."

"Weird," says Jeff. Then he shrugs. "At least we don't have to listen to the Tiffany Channel."

I laugh. Tiffany does tend to talk, non-stop. Jeff always makes fun of her for it, but it's the thing that we all like most about her.

The bell rings suddenly, making me jump. Jeff snickers and we all stand, slinging our backpacks over our shoulders and heading to our lockers to start the day.

Thus is every morning for me.


	2. Meanwhile

Okay, I know this one is really lengthy, but I didn't really want to split it into separate chapters...

Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I really appreciate it :)

And I will try not to go AWOL on it... you could even give me your opinion on what should happen next, because I haven't planned the ending yet. :| I will try to keep this up.

part one

(flock's POV)

Iggy winces as he listens to Nudge's incessant crying. "Angel," he says, "can you go get her?"

Angel nods, though Iggy can't see it. She heads to the lobby, where Nudge and Dylan are. Iggy, Angel and Gazzy are watching Max, just in case she wakes up.

Gazzy snores softly on the chair next to Iggy's. Poor kid; he stayed awake all night, worried, and talking to and crying with the flock. He's only nine.

The door opens. Iggy turns his face towards it. He hears Nudge's sobs, calmer now.

"Hey, Ig," she says, voice cracked. She pulls a folding chair up to the hospital bed and sits, chin in her hands.

Angel stands next to Nudge, patting her shoulder. She looks down at her sadly, her own blue eyes filled with tears. She's reading everyone's dark thoughts, their fears about whether Max is going to wake up, the questions they have about her being in this condition. It's a lot for a seven-year-old to take.

Iggy hears Nudge gasp.

"What?" Iggy asks, listening to the heart monitor. It remains steady. Nothing's changed.

"She-she twitched," Nudge says, sounding disappointed when nothing more happens. She lets out a deep breath.

"I'm gonna go call for some food," Iggy tells the flock, standing up. "What do you guys want?"

He gets three different answers, since Gazzy wakes up to the mention of food. He sighs and heads for the door, feeling for the doorknob.

"It's open," Nudge says. He walks into the hallway.

"Iggy," he hears Dylan say. "How is she?"

"Fine." Iggy's voice is steely. "Do you want anything to eat?"

"No, I'm okay." Dylan walks into the hospital room. Iggy doesn't trust him; neither does the rest of the flock.

A doctor walks up to him. "Everything okay?" she asks kindly.

"Yeah. Just getting some food."

"All right. Cafeteria is that way." She turns Iggy's shoulder in the direction of the cafeteria.

"Thanks." He heads toward it.

The walls are white, which helps Iggy see a little bit. He sees the dark space where the door is, and pushes it open.

The hospital the flock is in isn't like any other hospital. It's run by the CSM, Max's mom's company. It's one of the three hospitals they run in the country. When the flock found Max, they took her to a normal hospital and called Dr. Martinez, and her scientists flew her to the hospital in Mullen, Nebraska. Dr. Martinez arrives at noon today.

Iggy frowns to himself as he slides down the buffet line, asking for a green Jell-O for Angel. He knows how things are going to be. He knows what's going to happen-not to Max, but to the rest of the flock.

_They're in for a big surprise. _

Fifteen minutes later, Dylan is still in the waiting room. He's the only one here; well, he and the receptionist behind her desk.

_Why would anybody come here, anyways? _he wonders. This is a CSM hospital, not a walk-in emergency room. Only freaks are treated here.

_Freaks like me._

He cracks his knuckles, and unfolds his wings slightly. Every muscle is tensed and aching but he barely notices. _MaxMaxMax_, his mind won't stop saying. He can't see her, all crumpled and bruised. Not now.

The automatic doors to the entrance slide open, and he hears running footsteps. He looks up.

"Where is she?" a woman demands, running toward the desk. A girl, maybe 12 years old, follows her.

"Dr. Martinez?" Dylan finds himself saying. He gets to his feet.

Dr. Martinez turns toward him. "Dylan?" She runs over to him. "Where's Max?"

"Down the hall, take a left," he says, pointing. Ella, staring wide-eyed up at him, looks like she's about to cry. "Is she okay?" she asks.

Dylan looks down. "Um. Here, let me take you to her."

Dr. Martinez nods, and she and Ella follow Dylan to Max's room. Dylan hangs just inside the doorway and watches them.

"Oh, sweetie," Dr. Martinez breathes when she sees her daughter. She rushes over and takes her hand. Ella bursts into tears. Angel hugs her, crying too.

"We found her like this," Gazzy says. "We still don't know what happened."

"Could I see her X-rays?"

"Yeah. I'll get a nurse," Nudge says, walking out of the room.

Dr. Martinez holds her hand over her mouth. "This... God. Who could've done this?"

"A monster," Iggy says angrily. "Worse than an Eraser. Worse than Jeb, or any of those f... scientists." He restrains himself from cussing.

Suddenly, Angel screams. Everyone who was sitting down jumps up.

"What? What is it?" Gazzy asks urgently.

Angel has stopped crying, looking at the door. "I hear-"

"Who?" Iggy asks, reaching for her arm and finally grabbing it.

"It's-"

Someone appears in the doorway, a tall, dark figure. Everyone looks toward it, except Iggy. The room falls silent.

"What?" Iggy asks desperately.

"What happened to Max?" comes a different voice, deep and strong.

"Fang," everyone says in unison.


	3. Morning

**Dear beloved readers:**

**I AM SOOO SORRY. I wouldn't blame you if you forgot all about this story... I feel awful that I haven't written in forever D: I've been feeling unmotivated because of some recent catastrophic events of meh life. But you guys motivate me to write this... because if I didn't you'd probably find out where I live and kill me. :) So you can leave angry reviews about my overdue-ness. I understand. **

**And Fang didn't beat Max up, just so you know. He just came when he heard about Max (you'll learn how he knew later on in this chapter.)**

**Bear with me guys... the first part of this chapter is **_**really**_** corny. I guess I'm better at writing the violent stuff. :\ No worries! The violent stuff will come soon! :D**

(Mackenzie's POV)

"Bye, Jeff!" I yell as my friend slings his backpack over his shoulder and runs to his car. He waves to me and Nick.

"Have you heard from Tiffany?" Nick asks as we climb onto the bus.

I shake my head. "I'm worried," I admit. "I talked to her last night-she was fine."

"Did she text you this morning?"

"No."

He frowns. "Now, that's just unnatural."

I nod. "You see why I'm worried?"

He lets me sit next to the window. "Something probably came up, is all."

"Yeah..." I stare at the ground. Noise fills the bus as more students file in, talking nonstop. The bus starts.

"Maaaack?" Nick asks, waving his hand in front of my face. "You're, like, zoned out."

"Oh. Sorry," I say, turning towards him.

He looks at me a second, then takes something out of his pocket. "Here," he says, handing me a folded up slip of paper.

I begin to unfold it but he snatches it back. "Not till I leave, okay?" he says, raising an eyebrow in an almost-imperceptible expression of humor. He's not usually readable.

"Okay," I say, taking the paper back and putting it in my purse. "I won't open it yet."

"Cool." He faces forward, slumping back in his seat like every day after school. I mimic his stance, grinning when he puts his shoes on the seat in front of us. A few minutes of casual silence pass.

"Want to go to a movie on Friday?" he asks me.

"Yeah."

I see a notebook flying towards my face. It hits me on the forehead. "Ow! God," I complain, tossing it back to an apologizing student.

"Freshmen," I grumble.

"Want me to beat 'im up?" Nick asks, sounding serious.

I laugh. "I don't think that's necessary."

"Okay... want me to kiss it better?"

I face him, wanting to give him a look for his sarcasm, but he shocks me by leaning in and kissing me on the mouth.

There wasn't anything special about it; being in the back of a bus, I suspect there couldn't be. I smile like an idiot anyways.

The bus rolls to a stop. I realize this is where I get off.

"Crap!" I say, disappointed. I stand up. "See you later?"

He looks up at me through the dark hair that falls over his eyes. "Yep. Tomorrow."

"Right," I say. "School day, and all." I pick up my backpack, blushing bright red. I always manage to sound stupid at the worst times.

He smiles, melting me. I wave, walk through the bus and exit.

Right now, I think I can fly.

Guess what? It's Friday. I'm all dressed up and waiting for Nick to come over. I tap my fingers on the computer mouse, staring at the Facebook homepage like I do when I'm bored. I sigh and log out.

Just then the doorbell rings. I spring up like a jack in the box, running to the door so fast I almost bulldoze over my cat. She skitters away, meowing angrily at me.

I open the door. His face greets me, eyes all lit up from the cold evening air and excitement.

"You ready?" he asks.

"Uh-huh." I smile and grab my purse from the table. "Bye, Mom!" I yell. She knows where I'll be.

I walk out the door and we go down the steps. The movie theater is near my house, and since he doesn't have his driver's license yet, we have to walk. I don't really mind.

We reach the end of my driveway and turn onto the sidewalk, watching rush hour traffic go by.

Nick looks up at the sky. "I hope it doesn't rain."

I look up too. Clouds that weren't there earlier have now devoured the blue and the pinks and oranges of the coming sunset. I frown. "That's really weird."

"Yeah..."

We stroll down the sidewalk a ways, chatting like friends. After a few minutes we hold hands. I smile so wide the corners of my mouth tremble.

"What movie do you want to see?"

"Oh, I don't know." I think. "Something scary. Violent. Et cetera."

He grins. "Of course."

I smile bigger. Good thing he likes slasher movies too.

"The new Jason is playing," he says.

"Ooh! I haven't seen it yet."

"Guess that's what we'll be seeing." He puts his other hand in his pocket. "Do you want popcorn? Soda? Candy?"

I giggle. "I don't want you to go broke."

"What, you were gonna have me pay for it?"

I laugh. "What a great boyfriend you are."

"I know, right?" He chuckles and pulls out his wallet when we reach the theater parking lot. We walk through it and he thumbs through dollar bills, counting his money.

"I have enough for everything."

"Um, okay. I'll take three candy bars, two large tubs of popcorn and a supersize soda." I manage to keep a serious face long enough that he suspects I'm not joking. His eyes widen.

I laugh really loudly, embarrassing myself. "Kidding."

I stop laughing and see that he's studying me. "What?"

"I like your laugh."

I blush and we get to the ticket booth.

"Two adults for Friday the 13th, please," Nick says.

The lady behind the counter squints at him. "Are you seventeen?"

"Yes, ma'am," he says with such suavity and sincerity I almost believe him. The lady shrugs, takes his money and gives us our tickets. I grin. Nick kinda does look seventeen.

We go inside and hand the guy our ticket stubs, then go to the snacks.

While waiting in line, I hear my phone ring inside my purse. I let go of Nick's hand and rummage through my stuff to find it.

"Hello?"

"M-Mack?" comes a terrified voice. Tiffany.

"Tiffany? Are you okay?"

She hiccups as if she'd just finished sobbing. "No. I need you to come over."

"Why? What happened?"

Nick looks at me with concern. I mouth 'Tiffany'. He nods.

"I think there's somebody here..."

My eyes widen. "Tiffany, call the cops. Hang up and call 911. Okay?"

"I-oh my god! Mack, please-!" I hear her scream. I run towards the exit. Nick chases me, asking what's going on.

"He's in my house."

The line goes dead.

Tiffany lives in the neighborhood next to mine, so we have to go all the way back and then some. I don't stop running. Nick follows at the same speed.

"Someone broke in?" he asks breathlessly.

"Yeah. I think she's-home alone," I huff. "She's in trouble."

Nick nods, and we _finally _reach the top of her street. I have to stop-I'm about to die. I double over.

"My God," he says, coughing. "Okay, come on. We have to get over there."

I nod, unable to say anything, and we start to run down the street. It's on a hill and her house is at the bottom, so it's not that hard to get there in a minute or so.

There are no cars in her driveway, or her neighbors' driveways. The sun's mostly gone down. I can barely see the door to her house, but I can tell that it's partly open.

Terrified, I pray to every deity I can think of that she'll be all right.

Nick goes up the stairs first, creeping like a ninja onto the porch. He lowers himself so no one inside can see him through the window. He shakes his head. "I don't hear anything," he says out of the corner of his mouth.

My heart is pounding in my ears so that it's deafening me.

He steps inside, scopes out the place, and slowly stands. He waves me to come closer.

"I think that whoever was here... is gone," he says when I come inside.

"Call 911," I say, pointing to where the phone is. "Let's find Tiffany."

No lights are on. My stomach turns inward, and this is worse than any fear I've felt watching Friday the 13th or Halloween or whatever. This is pure, vomit-all-over-yourself, cry-out-for-your-mommy dread.

Nick inches into the hall, not daring to switch on any lights. I can't even see the end of the hallway. I gulp, squeeze my eyes closed, and reach for Nick's hand.

He takes it and leads me carefully to the back of the house.

"Tiffany?" he whispers as loud as one can whisper. "Tiff?"

I try to say something but my voice is a barely audible squeak. I let him do the talking.

He pokes his head in her bedroom, and turns on the light. "Nothing," he says, checking in her closet too.

Nothing's been messed up. This doesn't look like a robbery.

My heartbeat gets even louder and quicker when we head into Tiffany's parents' room. It's so dark, pitch-black, and big, with lots of convenient places for serial killers to hide behind. I hyperventilate.

Nick puts his finger to his lips, and I try to calm myself. "Tiffany?" he asks, a little louder. "Are you in here?"

Something whips out in front of us, a massive silhouette of a man-he had to be in the NFL or just inhuman. I scream and Nick and I fall back.

Nick, after a few seconds of shock, steps in front of me to defend me. I can't stop staring at the figure. I can't see his face.

Without a word the man reaches up and pulls the light switch on the fan. I scream again when I can see him clearly.

He's _not _human.

Nick smashes against me, screaming like I didn't know he could, but still tries to shield me. I can't even scream anymore. I watch with widened eyes as this-_thing-_advances.

"Nick," I whisper. "Oh my god..."

He's not screaming anymore either, just staring at the man.

The 'man' with stiff, brownish hair sticking up like fur all over his arms. He wears a torn white tank and camo cargo shorts, as if he's a soldier. His muscles are huge, and on his hands... there are _claws. _Long and yellowish and like Freddy's, presuming you've seen the movies.

My eyes slide up to his face. _Oh God._

It's like a wolf's, with a snout, and beady red eyes burning holes in me. He's grinning evilly, exposing fangs that I can imagine would only be on a vicious animal. There's such wickedness behind his gaze, I want to cry. He's killed Tiffany.

"What-are you?" Nick asks, practically paralyzed.

"Hi, kids," the creature says in a deep, gruff voice. "I'm an Eraser."

Me and Nick take a few steps back. "A what?"

The 'Eraser' laughs and shakes his head. "Finding Tiffany wasn't hard to do," he says, and my stomach tightens. "But you two-man, it was just too easy! She was on the phone with you when I came in." He laughs at the supposed irony. "When she told you to come over, I knew it was fate."

He charges at us. Nick covers me but the Eraser shoves him aside like he's a stuffed animal. I gasp and try to run away, out of the room, but the Eraser grabs me by my arm and pulls me back. He pushes me against the wall so hard my teeth rattle.

Nick tries to pull the Eraser's hands off me, but the Eraser swings one back and hits Nick across the jaw. I hear a crack, and I watch as Nick falls to the ground, as if in slow-motion.

"Oh god," I breathe, my mind frozen. I stare at Nick's unmoving form. I start to cry.

The Eraser clamps his hand over my mouth, and I feel mind-numbing pain. He drops that hand, and puts a claw to my throat, pressing it into my skin. I think I'm bleeding.

"You need to wake up, Max."

_Who's Max?_

(part two, Max's POV)

_"Max, you need to wake up. Please, Max."_

Everything screams back into whiteness and feeling when I open my eyes, and I have energy I've never had, but I'm also in a lot of pain. I try to move my arm, and find I can't. It's in a cast.

I hear someone shriek, not a voice I recognize. I look around but all I see is the blank ceiling.

"What's going on?" I ask croakily.

A face appears in the emptiness of my range of sight. A little face, a boy's face. Blonde, big blue eyes, a really worried expression.

"Zephyr?" I mumble. I don't think I mentioned Zephyr; he's my younger cousin. He and Ariel are really close, like brother and sister.

"Huh?" His face scrunches in confusion, and my own brows furrow-what's going on?

"Why are you calling me Zephyr? I'm Gazzy..."

"I don't know a Gazzy." My voice is still hoarse. I try to cough but my throat starts to hurt so bad I have to stop.

"Max, what-"

I hear a door open. Feet rush in. I want to sit up, to see what's going on.

Three more faces appear above me. A pale face, a dark face, and an innocent face...

"Jeff!" I say, wanting to jump up and hug him. I realize I'm smiling. I guess I didn't die after all... that 'Eraser' or whatever didn't kill me. Was it a dream?

"What? Who's she talking to?" Jeff looks around at the others, not meeting anyone's eyes. That's probably because he isn't wearing his glasses.

"You," says the innocent face. Ariel. I raise my arm-it takes all my strength-and still can't reach her. "Ariel," I say softly. "I thought I wasn't going to see you again." I want to cry again.

She stares into me, scanning my eyes like she can read what's behind them. I feel weird, and she stops, as if she's pulled back from something and looks with wide eyes into Tiffany's. Yes, she's here too. She didn't die either! Thank God...

"I dreamed that you were dead," I say to her. I laugh shortly. "It felt so real."

Ariel shakes her head at Tiffany, and Tiffany seems to listen to something she's thinking, then looks back down at me.

"Guys... say something," I plead, not wanting my raspy voice to be the only one filling the silence.

"Max," Jeff says. "What happened to you?"

"I dreamed that I was attacked by something... he called himself an Eraser."

Everyone disappears from what I can see, gasping. I hear them nearby, talking amongst themselves so that I can't hear.

"Can someone help me sit up?" I ask.

I hear more feet run towards me. Someone goes to my side, and out of my peripheral vision, I see that it's a guy, tall and tan. Why can't I move my neck...?

He grips my arm and gently tugs me upwards so that I'm comfortably resting against my pillow. I blink at the scene around me.

Yes, I'm in a hospital. I don't know what for... I guess for that freak attack. I must've passed out.

_Nick! _Memories flood back to me-the creature hit him. He was unconscious. I open my mouth to say his name but someone comes to the door.

Dark hair. Dark eyes. Olive skin.

"Nick." My lips form the word but no sound comes out.

"She's awake," he says, not to me, but to the others, in a tone that's almost disappointed or as if he did something he shouldn't have. I frown.

"I shouldn't be here," he mumbles to himself.

"Nick, you're okay?" I ask, wanting him to come to me. "That thing-Eraser-hit you so hard I thought you'd-I saw it." Panic rises in my voice. Does he know me? He doesn't act like...

"Max." He comes to my side and sits at the chair next to me. I can't see his face because I can't turn my head.

He puts his hand on my chin and slowly turns my head towards him. It hurts, not because of what he's doing, but because... well... I guess something got broken or bruised. Damn. Does this mean I'm paralyzed?

"Why is everyone calling me Max?" I ask, bewildered.

Then he stares at me with such eyes, such big, almost-black eyes full of something I can't detect; is it despair? Heartbreak?

"And why-" I lick my lips, only to make them more chapped, "how'd I get here? Why is no one, like, hugging me?"

"Um..." He looks at Ariel, who stands close by, and his eyes flicker back to me.

"She'll tell you," he says simply.

"Why won't you?" I feel like a whining toddler.

Suddenly I hear a voice inside my head.

A voice that isn't mine.

_I know what happened, _it says. It sounds like Ariel... it couldn't be. What is going on? _Fang-I mean, Nick came because Ig-Jeff was talking to him. We didn't know about it. When Jeff told Nick about you being in the hospital... Nick came. _

I shut my eyes, trying to concentrate on what this voice is telling me. What does it mean?

_I know that you don't remember your real life. You think you're Mackenzie, right? Mackenzie Riddle?_

I nod. I must be crazy, insane, psycho, bonkers, all of it.

I think back at the voice, _How'd I get here?_

_We don't know. You say you were attacked by an Eraser?_

I say aloud, without meaning to, "Yes." I don't care if everyone is staring at me.

_Okay. Well, you're in the hospital. You have amnesia... you were living in an alternate reality for the two days you were in the coma._

"Coma?" My eyes snap open and I look around the room. "What happened?" My voice is hard and as steely as I can get it.

"We found you," says Jeff. "Unconscious. We didn't know what happened. You were attacked, apparently... you almost died."

I nod slowly, watching Nick. He doesn't meet my gaze.

"Can someone turn my head around?" I ask.

Tiffany helps me. I look out at them, then position my head a little downward to inspect myself, my injuries.

I wiggle my fingers. I can do that. My hands look like mine. I can't really lift my arms, they hurt so badly, and they're bruised all over. I feel my hair on my shoulders. It's longer than it was.

"And, Max-" Ariel says, taking a deep breath, "you have wings."

I frown, then laugh at her humor. "Don't be stupid, Ariel."

Ariel, defiant, steps forward and pulls at the back of me-no, not on my back or my arm, but something else. Something I can feel. Something... soft.

She pulls it around and I feel muscles stretch and ache. She shoves the tip of a-feathery _wing?_-into my face.

_My wing. _

I lose it. I pass out.

**In case you were a little confused about Fang coming, Iggy was contacting him behind the others' backs, so that when Max ended up in the hospital, Iggy was able to get the news to Fang and Fang rushed over to see if she was okay, since she wasn't waking up. So, that's all:) I'll be working on chapter four and hopefully it will not take me as long to write! :D Review pwz? **


	4. Misleading

**Hi guys:] So it's been a while... I'm really sorry!... hope you haven't forgotten about this. :P I love getting your reviews! You guys are the best :D**

**The story really picks up in this chapter, I guess. I just figured out like, pretty much the whole plan of the story, so there might be more frequent entries, after the holiday and everything. I'll try my best, guys :) **

**Hope you like this one!**

_"Dr. Martinez! You're back..."_

In my mind I wake up but I don't feel like opening my eyes. This reality-no, this dream, a sick delusion-is too horrible to face.

I'm a _freak. _Of course, not in real life, because in real life I'm Mackenzie. Not Max, a mutant bird _thing_, with people who look exactly like the people I actually KNOW. Do I know them? They're no different, but then again, they are... freaking brain twister.

"Max?" Someone takes my hand. I still pretend to be asleep.

"Max. Please." The voice breaks. It's a woman's voice that I don't recognize. Who is she? I want to open my eyes so bad, but I can't blow my cover. Maybe they'll all give up.

I hear whispering. I catch the words "secret" and "blog" and "fault". What's happening?

Soon, the hand releases mine. The woman is sobbing. I feel sorry for her, for thinking I'm someone I'm not. They've got the wrong girl.

Footsteps walk away from me and the door shuts. The room is quiet. Are they gone? I open my eyes...

No one's here. I breathe a sigh of relief, realizing I hadn't dared to take a big breath, or barely breathe, since I woke up.

I position my wingsso I'm resting more comfortably.

_Wings. _God...

In a few moments I find myself crying, just staring at the empty ceiling and sobbing to myself. Why aren't my parents here? What happened to me?

Why won't anyone tell me?

I close my eyes and taste salt, the disgusting reminder that I'm falling apart. I wipe at my mouth. The movement sends both sharp and dull pain from my left hand to my shoulder-God, even the least bit of motion hurts.

I pull myself up carefully. I feel like I've been run over by a monster truck. I stare at the room. There's four folding chairs and a plastic-covered recliner. In the corner there are balloons and stuffed animals and candy. Gifts? For me? Who could've given them to me? I don't know anyone here.

I see something move on the wall to my right. My head whips over so fast that I feel like my neck has broken. I try not to cry again.

It moves again. _The wall is moving._

No, not the whole wall. Just a section of it; a tall, person shaped section-

I scream when I see a head shake and color fills out the faint silhouette I'd detected.

It's Nick_. _Or the guy who looks exactly like him.

Even though I saw him earlier, briefly, I'm still so relieved he's here and safe. I smile. He stares at me like he's done something wrong.

"Do you remember now?" he asks evenly.

"That you-well, I told you earlier. We got attacked. Don't _you _remember?" I'm practically pleading with him to remember.

He shakes his head. I get the feeling he regards me as some sort of mental patient; as if I have amnesia or something. Psh. As _if. _I'm the only one who knows that _this_ is the world that's backwards.

He comes toward me. "Where were you attacked?"

"Tiffany's house. We went over there because she called... remember? We were at the theater?"

He frowns slightly, his dark eyes burning holes in me. I can't read them.

"Well. We went to her house and the Eraser was there. I thought that he killed her, but she was here earlier-" Now, it's my turn to frown. "Okay, how'd you do that, with the wall?"

"What?" He tries to look innocent. I raise an eyebrow. "You, like, appeared."

"Oh, that." He shrugs. "It's just something I can do."

"That's... really weird." We're silent for a few long seconds. Then I ask. "Do you have wings too?" I say this in a hushed voice, as if it's a secret with people listening in from outside.

He nods, and walks in front of the hospital bed, so he'll have more room. He unfurls them from behind him, so fast I barely see it happening.

They're magnificent. Dark, like the rest of him, powerful, beautiful... and so _impossible. _In spite of my awe, I laugh.

"What?" He's obviously offended. I hold up a hand.

"This is so ridiculous," I say between giggles. "You with wings, me with wings."

"Why?" He folds them in again, sitting down in one of the folding chairs. I feel like I'm in a therapy session.

"It's so unreal!" Duh.

"Well, why?" His deep voice is still smooth, quiet, untroubled.

"People don't-" I swallow. "People do not fly."

He pauses. "It seems to me they do."

I glare at him, then glance at my gifts in the corner. "Can you give me some candy?" I ask, my growling stomach coming to my attention.

He stands up and goes to the corner, handing me a bag of chocolate candies. I devour a mini-Snickers as he watches me silently.

"Did you want one?" I ask, feeling awkward. He shakes his head. I put the candy down. "When can I go home?"

"Home?" He frowns.

"Yeah. To my parents, and Ariel."

"Who's Ariel?"

"My sis-" I stop, figuring it's pointless. I shrug, shut my eyes, and lean back into my pillow. "I'm tired," I lie, so that he'll leave.

"Kay." He pushes away his chair and walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.

_Left alone again. _

(part two: flock's POV)

Fang walks out of Max's hospital room and right into the middle of the rest of the flock. They stare at him as if he'd risen from the dead.

"What?" he asks nonchalantly.

"What happened?" Nudge asks. "Does she remember anything? What did she call you? Like, I think she thought your name was Nick or something... did you-"

_"NUDGE!" _Fang and Dylan yell at the same time. She shuts up.

Fang takes a deep breath. "Yeah, she called me Nick. She still doesn't remember."

"Why are you back?" Dylan asks, raising the question that's inside everyones' mind.

Fang turns to glare at him. It takes him a long minute to answer. "Ask Iggy."

All eyes turn to Iggy. He stares blankly back. "Well..."

"I know what happened," says Angel. "Should I tell them, Ig?" She sounds a little angry. Iggy shrugs.

"Okay. You know the blog that Fang has?"

Everyone nods.

"Iggy took Max's laptop. Him and Fang were talking."

They all start to whisper, like gossiping friends. Nudge frowns. "What?"

"Well. When we found Max..." Her eyes narrow as she glances at Iggy, "Iggy told Fang to come."

"No, no!" Fang protests, waving his hand. "_He _told me that Max was _dead._"

Angel's mouth drops. She actually didn't know that.

"So I had no choice to come." Fang is fuming, and his voice shows it-the only emotion that he freely expresses. He whirls on Iggy. "I cried. I thought it was true."

"I'm sorry..." Iggy addresses the entire crowd. "I couldn't think of any other way-"

"To come? Well, I'm not supposed to, remember?" Fang exhales sharply. "I was supposed to stay gone."

"Well, why don't you leave now?" Dylan suggests, holding a steely gaze on Fang. With his dark eyes, Fang scrutinizes Dylan, probably considering if Dylan is mad enough to throw a punch. Fang smirks.

"_You left her." _

Angel squirms, afraid they'll come to blows. She plants a thought in both their minds: _Back down. _

"Stop it, Angel," Fang snaps, before responding to Dylan. "She doesn't need to know now, does she?"

"So you're not even gonna tell her, what happened between you two?" Dylan asks, stunned.

"I don't see that I have to."

"If she gets her memory back, she's going to kill you."

"If she gets her memory back, I'm leaving," Fang corrects, taking a step towards Dylan. "I'm just sticking around to see that she _does _get it back."

"You're pathetic," Dylan spits, unfolding his crossed arms and storming away from Fang.

Angel breathes a sigh of relief. Pretty much the whole flock does, except Fang. He stands there, almost panting, fists clenching and unclenching.

"I'm going to kill him," he says under his breath.

"No, you are not," Angel says, stepping in front of Fang.

Memories hit her like a tsunami; Fang was like her brother. He had hugged her when she cried, given her cookies when she was good, gave her a lecture when she had caused trouble. She missed all that. Now he was more like a stranger, threatening her and her family-he might as well have been holding a gun against everyone's head. He had nothing to do with them now. Nothing.

"Just... go away," Angel says, resisting the strong temptation to kick him in his family jewels. She knows that would be wrong, but God, she just wants to hurt him, as much as he hurt Max.

Fang stares down at her, trying to calm his breathing. He looks up at the rest of the flock. "I'll be back later," is all he says before stomping away, much like Dylan just did, leaving the high emotions behind him.


	5. Max

**yay! another chapter! Still waiting for the action, guys? haha... i know it's like, slow... but fighting will come soon, promise :) again, SOOOO sorry for the lateness!... i know its been like, two months... hope you haven't all deserted me... D: I'm trying to finish it earlier. really. gahh! forgive me! hope you like this chapter :)**

(Max's POV)

Around nine PM, I'm able to fall asleep. It's been a hectic few days and I'm relieved for any interruption to this nightmare.

Soon I begin to dream. At first it's the typical abstract, loopy dream sequences that usually result from being pumped full of painkillers. Eventually, though, it turns into something clearer, sharper. Scarier.

_I'm in a cage, a tiny dog kennel that I don't really fit in. My muscles are cramped from lying like this, all twisted and tight, and my neck is bent uncomfortably to the right but I can't move to fix it. It's cold and my eyes sting, and I want to close them..._

_As soon as I do, though, I hear the little door squeak open and icy, gloved hands roughly pull me out. I scrape my arm against the medal and I open my eyes to see it bleeding._

_I'm being carried across a wide, brightly lit hallway, where everything is white. It hurts my eyes more and I want to shut them again but something tells me I should stay alert._

_I don't even think to look up at who's got me, but it feels like I'm being carried by a robot, or Frankenstein. No emotion. I'm like an object._

_We turn a corner and enter what looks like an autopsy room. I'm set down on the steel table, with only the freezing metal beneath me-not even that crinkly white paper doctors use for sanitation. I shiver and can almost hear my bones rattling._

_I lick my chapped lips and smell the air-it reminds me of a hospital, and of death. It smells so bad..._

_"Where am I?" I ask, my voice weak with exhaustion._

_"Shut up," comes a man's voice. I hear him typing. _

_"Who are you?" Curiosity, unfortunately, gets the better of me._

_Something blunt and cold is pressed against my arm. Electricity courses through me, scattering all conscious thought. Ohmygod Ohmygod I'mgonnadie..._

_I lie paralyzed on the table when I hear another person enter the room. "What are we doing today? she asks, snapping a pair of gloves as she puts them on. She sounds almost cheerful. It makes me sick. _

_My mind slips into a pit of subconsciousness. That's probably for my good. I'm slightly aware of things happening, painful things, like burning and more stinging and even being injected, but I mentally block whatever is being done. _

_I'm brought back when I'm picked up again, more sore and tired and brain-scrambled than before. I'm breathing shallowly, with each short inhale leaving an intense pain behind. I'm afraid to take a big breath._

_We reach the end of the hallway and go back into the room I came from. I observe it now-a row of cages, some small, some bigger than others. They're all empty. In front of them is a row of more steel tables, every one empty as well. The light is flickering, making shadows move on the floor. The person holding me takes a right and walks a little further. _

_To my astonishment, a little pale face looks out at me from behind the bars of a small kennel. He has blonde hair and big blue eyes; his face is dirty. Zephyr, my cousin? Or-what was his other name-the Gasman? _

_Despite my confusion and dread, my eyelids lower. I'm tossed back into my cage. I hear myself cry out, but it's like-I'm gone. My vision changes to flashes of faces-Zephyr, my sister Ariel, the scientists who had me, Dr. Martinez, and a face I don't recognize: a middle-aged man, wearing glasses and he was balding, but had a little graying hair left. His eyes were sad, drained... I felt his despair. Who...?_

_The smell of hospitals and pictures of lab tables, mazes, cages, blood and feathers hit e like machine gun pellets. The sound of me and other peoples' screams and yells for help ring in my ears. _

_In the back of my mind I remember that this is a nightmare, all made up. I try to will myself to wake. I push at my consciousness like I'm buried beneath it. _

I wake up and my blood is singing-I can feel every cell speeding through my veins like Nascar drivers. I'm burning up and almost wish I was back on that steel table, when I could barely feel anything.

I clutch my sheets to my chest and concentrate on my breathing, finally getting it back to normal. _Where the hell did all that come from? _I didn't think I had horror like that hidden in my mind. God... what's the matter with me?

I look around the dark room and see that I'm alone. I check the clock: 1:13. I want someone to be awake; maybe a familiar face will calm me down. I get out of bed and walk out the door.

The first person I see is Nudge, asleep on a bench against the wall. I decide to leave her be. I wander into the dim waiting room.

I notice one of the teenage boys-Dylan-dozing in a chair. For some reason, his still face soothes me. He wasn't in the right world, where I was Mackenzie, and he wasn't in my dream either. He's practically a stranger.

I sit next to him, being careful not to wake him up and slowly lower my head to his shoulder. He stirs.

"Hm-Wha?" I hear him mumble.

"I had... a bad dream," I say, my voice shaky, my face hot from blushing. This is so stupid. But he seems to accept this, because he relaxes and soon I hear him snoring softly again. Soon I'm able to go back to sleep, this time a deep, dreamless one.

(not Max's POV)

Fang spirals down towards the CSM hospital, a backpack full of chocolate muffins, powdered donuts and Poptarts in his arms. He closes his eyes, deftly angling through the tall trees with nothing more than instinct and memory. His feathers brush the rough bark of a tree and he lands gently in the dirt.

He heads inside the hospital, folding his wings in and slinging the backpack over his shoulder. He nods good morning to the receptionist and strolls into the waiting room-

And stops short when he sees them.

The sunlight coming through one of the windows streams down onto Max, making each strand of her messy brown-blonde hair shine. Her head is resting on Dylan's shoulder.

Fang, without a word, unzips the backpack and empties its contents right onto the floor. "Hey! What are you doing?" the receptionist exclaims, standing up.

Fang turns to leave the hospital. He hears someone walking into the waiting room behind him.

"Fang! Where are you going?" Angel asks. "And, um... why are there muffins on the floor?"

Angel doesn't really need to ask, though. She glances towards the still sleeping Max and Dylan and knows what Fang feels. His thoughts are tangled and hard to tell apart.

"Are you gonna back?" she asks.

Fang stops and shrugs, facing Angel, managing to keep an even expression. "Probably."

"Okay." And with that, understanding his actions, she lets Fang go. Through a window she sees him take off into the air, his midnight wings briefly eclipsing the morning sun.

She's picking up the fallen pastries when Max finally awakens. Angel ignores her till Max says, "...Why are their muffins on the floor?", just like Angel had asked.

"Just parting gifts from our friend Fang," Angel says crisply, glancing disapprovingly up at Max and Dylan.

"What?" Max asks, stretching.

"Nothing." Having picked up all the food, Angel leaves the room.

(Max's POV)

Back in my room, I'm talking with Iggy and Nudge over lunch. We've been discussing whether or not the 'applesauce' tastes more like tapioca or oatmeal and wondering what that reddish-brownish stuff sprinkled on the top is because it doesn't really taste like cinnamon. Bleh. _CSM _hospital food.

"So," I say, setting down my orange juice and waiting for them to stop laughing. "Um... did we used to live at this hospital-like place? I mean, that's really random, but I had-" I stop when I see their dumbstruck faces.

I decide to add more details from my dream, to see if I get any reaction. "...With cages, and scientists, and like-" They still look all deer-in-the-headlights. "Okay... now you guys talk."

"The School," Iggy mumbles cryptically.

"That is...?"

"Did you remember it? All of it?" Nudge asks.

"Well, I dreamed it. God, it was horrible... they shocked me, and I could feel it. The Gasman was there..."

"Yeah. We lived there," Nudge interrupts.

"For how long?"

"You were there for longer than me." She shrugs, and looks away, covering her mouth with her hand.

"We were _all _there?" I swallow. Iggy nods. Poor Ariel-I mean, Angel...

"Could you, um. Tell me about it?" I ask. "When I was dreaming, I felt... like I was getting the real me back. And now, I don't know whether it's Mackenzie, or Max."

They stare at me blankly-well, Nudge does. Being blind, Iggy can only stare blankly, I guess.

Just then Dr. Martinez walks into the room, holding papers that she reads from: "These charts say your blood pressure is good, heart rate is normal-for you, anyways-and your injuries are healing up well. We can take you home."

Nudge stands up, then reaches down to give me a hug. "You can go home!"

"Yeah... that's..." My smile falters. "Um, where's home?"

"Well, actually, I live in Arizona," says Dr. Martinez, "but there's a CSM safehouse nearby we're all staying at."

Hmm. Another 'CSM' thing. I don't know... but it's gotta be better than the hospital.

"Yeah, okay," I say, sitting up. "Let's go."

The safehouse isn't what I expected. I thought it'd resemble the hospital in some way: shiny white floors, white walls, white everything. I thought there'd be doctors and a receptionist and hospital beds, but nope. Thank goodness it's not like that.

It looks like a normal house, not expensively furnished, but it has enough so one could live in it comfortably. Plus, there's no antiseptic smell here; actually, it smells like cookies in the oven, because there _are _cookies in the oven. As soon as the flock took a whiff of the sweet chocolatey air, they ran to the kitchen as if there was no tomorrow. Then, they devoured their cookies without even drinking their milk, as if they never get chocolate chip cookies or something. Weird.

I eat mine like a sane person, chewing slowly and enjoying the warm deliciousness Dr. Martinez had baked. She had put them in the oven and then came to the hospital to get me-I'm just glad they aren't burnt or anything.

Ella sits down next to me. I'm told she's my half-sister. She smiles brightly (something I haven't seen in a long while... when people smile at me, it never reaches their eyes) and asks me how I'm doing.

I nod, and finish off my cookies. "I'm fine. A little tired," I admit.

"Are you going to take a nap?"

"No." Even though I'm tired, I don't think I'd be able to sleep. It's a strange feeling.

"Oh. Want to come outside with me and the others? There's a pond behind the house."

I shrug. "Sure." We get up from the kitchen table and walk out into the hallway. I look at the walls; there are photos of CSM people doing CSM things, like rescuing seabirds from oil spills and holding car washes to fundraise for worthy causes. Savior type stuff. They're all smiling and helping each other, and it really does seem like this company is changing a lot of things in the world, for the good. I feel a weird sense of pride that my 'mother' (haha) is part of this organization.

We walk outside, around the house and through the woods a little ways. Soon I see the pond, pretty with the reflecting trees and sky. No noise, either. It's so peaceful.

I see Iggy perched on the end of a log that's reaching into the lake. Geez. I thought he was _blind. _How can he stay there?

"Max! Can we go swimming?" Angel comes running up to me, but then her face falls. "Ella, can we go swimming?"

"Um, yeah, I guess. Since it's not really cold."

"Yay!" She runs back over to the Gasman (they tell me I can just call him Gazzy) and they cannonball in from the log Iggy's still sitting on. He stands and dives into the water, surfacing and laughing.

I feel a pang of sorrow. Actually, more than a pang, more like a flood of agony. I miss Nick and his normal-ness, his familiarity. I miss his face and his smile and his voice. I can still feel his closeness like he just left.

A tear escapes from my eye and I wipe it away, embarrassed. I'll see Nick again someday. Maybe Fang-are they the same person? I don't know. He's so distant, like we were never even friends, like something _happened _between us a while ago. Nick was just Nick, a genuinely great guy.

But every time I see Fang, there's the hint of butterflies in my stomach, but it's not as strong as it was when I was around Nick. But whenever I look at Fang, I feel so close to my real life I can almost taste it.

Ugh. Boys.


End file.
